Invitation has a connection to hospitality for me. My second job was at the Olive Garden and I had a really good server manager. She talked a lot about “hospitaliano” and how we welcome in people with the love we would give our families and that’s always stuck with me.
How can you show hospitality to someone today?
Invite others to be part of your world, part of your existence. Humans are social creatures, we need and depend on interaction with others. Show concern and compassion for others with an invitation to be part of your daily life. This can be to a big life event–or just a chance to connect with another person.
How can you show someone compassion today?
I always appreciate invitations to new ways of thinking. At 17 years old, I heard a Catholic clergy person say that there are “many paths to God.” As a strict Muslim at the time that way of thinking was unimaginable. I invited myself to consider this idea over the next few years and eventually landed on Unitarian Universalism.
What are ways you’ve been invited into new ways of thinking?
I love giving invitations to my home. I love sharing my space, always including food, with friends and family both new and old. However early on in my marriage I realized my partner didn’t share that interest. Their invitation was based on other dynamics and we had to come to compromise about the how and when of invitations. Over the years those invitations have grown and shaped who we are as a family. It has been a beautiful thing to see our invitations evolve.
How do you give others invitations? How do you make room for the needs of others in your giving?
Receiving an invitation is so fun! Whether by snail mail or electronically, I always get excited when I open an invitation. When is the occasion? Will I be able to go? Who else will be there? What will we do?
What do you hope to receive today?
